Legends of the Fail

Legends of the Fail

The Adventure Begins (Session 3)

In which the PCs confront the bandits in their lair.

30

JUL/12

So when last we left, the group had come to the abandoned mine in the foothills, at which point, someone let the dogs out. After a vicious fight, the party has two members unconscious, has one unconscious stabilized prisoner, one who has been decapitated most messily, and a few dogs that have been rendered to kibbles and bits. A lone bard fled into the mine, which even from ehre can be seen to be lit by lanterns.

“Well,” Arthur says. “What shall we do now?”

Tania just walks over to the sleeping Kierdan to gently shake him awake

Kierdan Summers looks up at Tania as she shakes him awake, blinking. “Am I dreamin’?”

Darius grunts.

Tania scowls at him “you fell asleep during the battle! a bard got the better of you” shaking her head before dashing off to Ruke.

Ruke likely needs medical attention.

Darius, “No … You were sleeping after that bard cast a spell on you. Tania you remember that potion?”

Ruke continues being unconscious.

“Thats what I said….. dammit… I only have one of these” Tania says, removing a small vial from her pocket and sitting next to Ruke before blushing a bit as she has to force him to drink.

Kierdan Summers gets to his feet, grogginess and confusion fading away before he turns toward Setanta, whistling for the horse. The steed walks toward his cavalier slowly, hesitant from his severe wounds. “Dammit, Setanta…”

“Do we have any spare healing for our drow?” Grevane asks from where he is. “Considering that she did take the hit for us, after all.”

At least the paladin regains consciousness. But how long can they assume that they’re safe out there?

Tania looks over the paladin “Please tell me you know healing magic”

The human starts coughing after he’s drunk the potion with the help of Tania. He opens his eyes, vision a little blurry until he adjusts. He looks up at her: “Thank you, m’lady. I owe you a debt…” He wipes his mouth off with the back of his hand, before shaking his head. “Alas, healing magic is something that I understand the theory of, but the Gods have not yet blessed me with its power.” He groans, then forces him to stand up.

Tania pouts gently before moving to help him “Darius… can you hold him steady? The drow girl got wounded as well I believe she is stable but…. I only had the one potion”

Kierdan Summers leads the injured, hesitant horse toward the rest of the group, looking to Ruke. “You all right, Ser Vasser? You got hit pretty hard, as did Sindrathiir.”

The paladin is wobbly on his feet, though he takes the time to pick up his greatsword and sheath it. He holds his hand on his head where he got hit, looking at Summers: “I’m still pretty beat up. Looks like your horse is too…” Noticing that one of the bandits is still alive (but unconscious), he’ll approach the fallen man and shackle his arms behind his back with manacles.

“Aye… that fat bastard tore into my poor Setanta. Got what he deserved.”

Tania moves to the side looking around “….. This isnt the safest place for us to be, what if there are more?”

“There probably are, I fear,” the alchemist approaches the others. “We can attempt to hit them hard now, or retreat, regroup, and strike again”

Tania turns to Arthur thinking as she looked at him “…. do you have any curatives? you’re an alchemist right?”
Kierdan, “I ain’t tryin’ ta bark orders, but we’ve one down, two barely standin’. We ain’t in any condition to run into a total unknown of a cave and root around for gods know how many bandits.”

“I leave that decision up to you all. If you’re physically well-off enough to venture in after the bandits, I’ll do what I can to aid you. If you think retreat is the best option, we can follow that route.” Ruke passed the decision on.

“I-I-I can summon…. my guardian. If you think that will help,” Tania offered

Ruke takes the time to pat down Dingbat and remove all weapons and items from him. Likewise, the deadguy will get a pat down. “You magic users can summon creatures to your aid, correct? Maybe you all could summon enough to turn the tides in our favor.”

Tania nods as she looks to Darius “I think we better…. just to protect them”

“And I am sorry, my dear girl, but my curatives… specially balanced, might not work the same way on other people. A pity, really.”

Kierdan Summers shakes his head. “I’m not plannin’ on buryin’ any of you today. We got too close ta puttin’ Sin in the ground as it is. If you’re all hell to leather on goin’ into the cave, then I’ll watch your back, but I ain’t votin’ for it.”

The alchemist suggests, “We could always work strategically. For example, with minor effort, we could burn this part of the forest down. That might panic the bandits.”

Ruke discovers: A great axe, A greatclub, each man wears a suit of scale mail. Oslo has a pouch with 5 sp and 4 cp, as well as a small brass whistle. Dingbat has a flask of strong liqour in one pocket. The flask is silver, and likely worth some money.

“I am not ‘stealing’ any of this, I am merely acquisitioning the prisoner’s belongings for us on the behalf of the people for the services we are performing for them.” … Ruke loots all that crap and becomes the party’s loot mule for the time being.

Darius, “So, Should we summon our…aspects? Tania?”

Tania takes a few steps back from the group before beginning to chant, the various tattoos on her body glowing as she begins to go over the summonging. Drowning out all the other noise before a circle appears and she calls out this demonic looking lizard with long neck and sharp fangs eyes just pools of fire. The symbol across her chest alighting permenantly and appearly on the eidilon.

“My proposal would be to have Tania and Darius take the lead with their summoning creatures, with Kierdan and Arthur providing support. I can carry Sin. If we leave, the bandits will abandon this place. I’m not sure if burning the forest down would be doing the people any favors.” Ruke says all of this with his back turned, and when he turns around, he stares at Tania’s new creature uneasily.

“Well…” Arthur adjusts his top hat! “My bombs are at their most useful when, well, friendly targets are not directly within the line of fire. I have enough ingredients for four more today, I believe…”

Darius grasps his fist as a drop of blood falls to the ground forming runic symbols on the ground as light shines from the sky and an angelic beauty that looks very much like a mature Tania in Fullplate graces you all with her presence

Tania just smiles at the creature petting it gently as it curls around her “This… is my eidolon. he is my summon, its alright… he is fierce but would bite anyone I do not ask him to. I would be honored to have him help”

Darius hands his Eidolon the Glaive from his back

“Strange, strange magic.” That uncomfortable look lingers on Ruke’s face some, though he seems a little more at ease with the presence of Darius’ angelic eidolon. “If these… creatures are associates of yours, then I welcome them both.” Ruke will retrieve Sin’s body—being gentle with her.

Kierdan Summers looks a lot more comfortable with the angel. He turns to Setanta, softly instructing the horse to remain at the mouth of the cave and defend himself as best he can.

Tania giggles at that “Eidolons… arn’t just creatures… its hard to explain, but basically they are apart of the summoners soul”

Arthur, “Splitting your soul? Holy mercy, good woman!”

“Its similar to a mage with their familiar… do not be alarmed, we are alright and so are they”

Kierdan Summers gives the eidolons another glance. If those are parts of the summoners’ souls, then he’d misjudged the two of them, and quite badly.

Darius, “Yes, It is a full commitment, We care for each other and defend each other when in need”

A comparison to a familiar puts Ruke more at ease. “Very well, we will be counting on your eidolons alongside your… owls and dogs and the like.”

Tania nods before whispering to the creature, it unwraps from her and strides off, the large (for a lizard) creature moving ahead of her "it is your choice to press on… but the paladin shall have to stay close.

“Yes we will have to be most careful”, Darius says.

Ruke, “Even wounded, I want to carry my weight. In that regard, I’ll stay in the back and I’ll ensure that our prisoner doesn’t escape and that Sindrathiir remains safe.”

Darius begins drawing runes on both his Eidolon and his forehead to seal the connection as well as cast Mage armor upon her

Sin lays there, doing her impression of a beached whale. Wherever ruke puts her that is.

Kierdan Summers grips his warhammer as Setanta moves to wait at the mouth of the cave. “We’ve got some bandits to take down, then.”

Arthur_Grevane fumbles around with his ingredients, getting them ready for the upcoming fight. “I suppose we do, then.”

Ruke will carry Sin over one of his shoulders if possible unless she weighs as much as a beached whale.

She’s six foot, 124 lbs. Plus like 30 lbs of gear.

Kierdan Summers moves off into the forest, to the wounded dog. If nobody stops him, he’ll coup de grace it.

Darius shoulders his Grimoire and points at the cave, I guess we will move forward… I think they will ambush us..I dunno

Ruke will be pre-occupied trying to figure out how to carry the looted gear, the prisoner, and Sin. It is like the chicken feed, chicken, and fox over a river once at a time riddle. His pre-occupation means he won’t really notice the fate of the unconcious dog.

“You could pile them together.” Arthur suggests!

“Hmmm.” Ruke thinks further on it with Arthur’s suggestion.

Kierdan Summers lifts his warhammer before he brings it down on the dog’s skull with a sickening, sucking crunch, caving in the animal’s entire head in a spray of blood and brains. Dead, dead, dead.

There’s a dull THWACK as Kierdan puts down old yeller. PETA will not be pleased.

Darius grunts trying to make his wounds appear worse than they actually are

Tania thought on it for a moment “…. why doesn’t the paladin stay with the drow? you are both too weak to fight… I shall make a summon to help guard you while you hide in the forest” when Darius grunts though her attention goes immediatly to him as she looks over his wounds gingerly touching his arm “… are you alright?”

Kierdan Summers emerges from the underbrush a few moments later, his armored coat spattered with blood, wiping the head of his hammer clean with a scrap of cloth. “Setanta can guard you too, Ser. He’s a smart horse, or ya can use him ta get away if ya need to.”

Darius makes innocent eyes at Tania as he tries to shrug, “He got a good hit in earlier is all..Im fine for at least one more fight, I’m strong, remember”

Tania gently takes his arm at that looking over the wounds “….too strong for your own good, your going to get hurt… dont worry ill help make sure you all better when we get back”

“Hm. Very well. You both make good points.” The paladin agrees. He’ll hunker down outside with the horse, the unconcious prisoner, and the unconcious rogue.

“Well, then!” and with a twirl of Arthur’s cane… “Shall we? We should determine a strategy before we burn the cave down, of course.”

Kierdan, “Artie, we got so many unknowns here that even the unknowns have unknowns. Don’t think we’re gonna make a more elegant plan than “go in with our eyes peeled and come out with bodies”… preferably the bandits’ bodies.”

Tania, “Let the eidolons go first, if they are hurt it is not permanent to them”

Tania, “Kierdan and darius can follow, I will cover the back with the alchemist”

Darius nods taking thier advice

Ruke, “Good luck and be careful, everyone. May the Gods be with you.”

Kierdan, “Keep an eye on my horse. If anythin’ dangerous happens, mount up and run back ta town and we’ll meet ya there.”

“I will take care of your horse, you have my promise on that.”

The mouth of the mine yawns before them. It varies from ten to fifteen feet across in places, braced with wooden beams that have seen better days. Every twenty feet, an oil lamp flickers from a hook on one side or the other. A pungent, moist mildewy smell drifts from within.

Kierdan Summers lets the eidolons go first, keeping a grip on his weapon and shield, giving a glance to Arthur. “Throwing bombs around in here might not be wise, unless we’re intending to collapse the cave on these assholes.”

“That might be an idea, you know.” Arthur says. “Imagine! The ultimate deterrent!”

Tania moves forward with her eidolon slithering ahead not seeming to care anymore neither worrying or stuttering. Just deadly calm.

Kierdan, “Keep it in the back of your head. No sense in getting us killed in the collapse.”

Darius follows right with Tania his angelic aspect keeping pace with the demonic beast

From the cave entrance, the eidolon can see that it proceeds generally north-east into the hillside, at a very gradual downward slope, until it opens into a larger chamber with a few wooden chairs and tables against the walls.

Indeed, the alchemist keeps back, waiting for the first (or second) sign of danger!

The first room appears empty. The walls are hewn rock, reinforced with thick timbers, while the floor is a mix of mud and gravel, making for uneven footing at best. The table contains an old loaf of bread and some playing cards, and three daggers jut out of the tabletop, one of which pins a crude sketch of two women doing something completely inappropriate. The northern tunnel is broad, some fifteen feet across, and slopes somewhat upward. It’s well lit. Tunnels also lead to the south and east, though these are dark and unlit, save for the occasional glow of a strange, luminescent moss upon the damp stone walls. As the eidolons enter that first chamber, they can hear the distant growl and bark of dogs drifting down from the north, as well as gruff voices. The echo of the stones distorts them to the point where they are unintelligible. To the south, only the steady drip of water can be heard.

Darius` whispers to Tania, “Which way?"

Tania stops as she watches the reptilian eidolon turn its head to the north letting out a low hiss baring fangs which extend out as it hisses. Tania nodding “A sign of trouble… Kierdan prepare your weapon, you too Darius. It is in the north”

Tania moves to take one of the oil lanterns and turn it off before gently pouring the oil on the other southern tunnel entrance “Alchemist… we can light this if they try to rush from behind”

The mustachioed man grins! Maybe this was a bad idea.

Darius nods hefting his blade

Tania, “dont go into any open areas… they could flank us…. keep the fights in the tunnels”

Kierdan Summers gives his hammer a spin. “I still owe ’em for Setanta and Sindrathiir.”

Darius, “He is right, They were quite mean to the … Drow”

Tania uses the grease spell to get the other entrance “… alright then, you know the formation, eidolons, darius and the knight. Then me and the alchemist”

And so they have a minute before the grease dissipates, but it should cover things for now. Do they advance quietly at all? or just march up?

Tania just is quiet letting the boys march up if they wish to

The upward slope opens into a massive chamber. The ceiling is high and has a long forgotten block and tackle supporting a platform that has seen better days. The block and tackle has ropes that tether to hooks near to the southern entrance, where you’re coming from. In the center of the room, a deep pit is cut into the stone floor. It’s ten foot deep at the near end, fifteen foot at the far end, though this is from a combination of factors, including the fact that the floor of the main chamber slopes upward toward the far end. There’s a fifteen foot high ledge in the north-west corner, upon which stand two archers, an elven man and an elven woman. Across the pit to the right, a brutal looking dwarf carrying two vicious looking dwarven waraxes stands, and before him, two trained dogs much like the ones from outside lift their heads to bark at the group. Near to the dwarf, the bard from earlier stands, hands near his lute. “Here they come boss…” he murmurs to the dwarf.

There’s a ladder visible on the north-east wall of the lower pit.

Kierdan Summers moves cautiously, but with his armor and shield, stealth is likely out of the question. As he sees the archers, he hisses, rasping, “Archers, watch yourselves.”

Grevane loads his crossbow first, then!

As the dogs start barking at them the repitillian monster opens baring its fangs with a hiss extending its neck which is longer then it once was now looking like it could reach a bit of a distance like a snake. Tania staying in the back “we shouldn’t fight them in the open especailly with the archers”

The archers nock arrows, readying them to fire.

Darius, “Okay, Then…do we move back?”

Kierdan, “Fall back. Now.”

Tania moves back

“Good idea, my good man.” he says, and backs up a bit!

The archers hold their fire as the group retreats, but the dwarf’s laughter echoes down the hall.

Kierdan Summers gives Arthur a glance. “How good of a shot are you with that thing?”

“I would not call it my specialty, unfortunately.” Arthur says. “Do you think that one of the other passageways might help us reach them from behind?”
Kierdan, “… you got a lot of bolts? Could take a shot in the dark, if you’re not gonna run out of arrows anytime soon.”

Tania takes out her own cross bow and loads it quickly “Its too much of a chance, they could catch us from behind or we could get lost. Alchemist, I can cover you long range. Your bomb might be useful here”

“Well, we can try, I suppose…” Arthur moves up by the eidolons. “unfortunately, my bombs move as far as I throw them. Now, let’s see… adjust for range, wind speed…” and 90’ range on the crossbow!

Darius is not sure what to do

Kierdan Summers moves forward, intending to cover the alchemist with his shield while the man reloads.

Tania shares a smile with her Eidolon as they cover the alchemist, she readying her crossbow.

And so, with a roomful of people to shoot, Arthur aims at the pretty elf girl.

As Arthur lines up his shot, the elves let loose, firing at him. Sunamal fires first. And his arrow skitters off into the dark.

Kierdan Summers holds his action for now, as to not interfere with the alchemist’s shot.

The elven woman fires at Arthur then. And misses. THEN Arthur critically hits Carrie. She’s struck in the throat and goes down, bleeding. Perkins growls, “a’ight, this is silly.” If you haven’t rolled initiative yet, do so.

“An elf for an elf, then! if that is the old saying, of course…”

At the top of the second round, the other elf fires at Arthur again. The arrow streaks toward him, and likely looks very painful.

This time it hits him right in the top hat! But oddly, Arthur is still standing. “Well, I must say, that one hurt quite a bit.” he says. Youch!

Tania moves infront to keep Arthur covered from more attacks before aiming carefully and letting loose her bolts unto the other archerer

Sadly she misses, because her eidolon is in the way of a clear shot.

Grevane sneaks his way back before loading! Well, at least he’s got that much sense!

The elf chick stabilizes. Simon begins to sing a song of death and destruction, inspiring his bandit friends. And their dogs, apparently. Perkins advances across the room, waraxes in hand. “If you wanna do something right, you gotta do it yourself.”

Darius mentally instructs his eidolon to ready an attack on Perkins but he himself simply full defenses

One of the dogs races in, triggering an attack of opportunity from the reach weapon. The dog yipes as it is struck, then goes down bleeding. Then the other moves into position. can go ahead and take the reach attack for the other one now.

The Angelic creature takes the glaive almost picking the dog up and cutting into it with a graceful strike

Almost in coordination the demonic creatures head lashes out like a wicked snake. There’s a yipe as the dog is bitten by the other eidolon, but still stands, albeit staggering.

Grevane sneaks his way back before grabbing a vial of his extra-special extract – Cure Light Wounds. You know, he really should make some that works for somebody else sometime! “I’ll be right back in the fray, good chaps! Just give me one moment…”

Inspired by the bard’s music, the elven man readies his bow, then fires a shot toward Tania.

Tania nearly gets hot with that reloading her crossbow, a glare and glow in her eyes as she coldly finds her target before firing at the elf.

Her aim is thrown off having to fire through the eidolon.

Kierdan Summers steps up behind the eidolon, looking amongst his group. “All right, all of you, keep it loose. We move as a unit, back and forth, like waves on a beach. Pick up your feet and work together.”

The bard continues his performance, which can be heard even as he moves down the hall

Tania, “Someone silence that bard!”

The houndskeeper moves up, triggering that readied attack now. The dwarf doesn’t even need to dodge Tania’s eidolon as the bite just FAILS. Likewise, the other eidolon just bricks. The dwarf then raises one of his waraxes, bringing it down toward the demonic eidolon. And… just misses himself. Darius!

Darius spins his hands around and fires off an acid splash, the eidolon wishes to switch places with Kierdan

He’d have been worried, if that acid splash hadn’t been so sad.

Kierdan Summers moves up to fill the gap that angel!Tania leaves behind, giving the dwarf a grin behind his wooden shield. “Don’t even think about it, cupcake.”

The blade grazes off of the dwarf’s armor. And then the dog tries to maul Kierdan. As the dog’s bite fails, it’s Arthur’s turn.

Well! Arthur could reload his crossbow right now, or… he could pull out a bomb! And that’s what he does, quickly filling a metal sphere and tossing it right at the dwarf and dog! it is aimed just over their heads to the grid intersection riiiight behing dog and dwarf. Unless he throws short, it will miss his friends! And unless he throws far, the splash damage should hit both bad

Kierdan Summers repels the dog’s gnashing fangs with his shield as he moves into position, gliding into place with his hammer ready.

The houndmaster dodges a bit of the blast of fire, though the hound isn’t so lucky, taking the brunt and collapsing, dying. The archer readies an arrow, then fires a shot over the melee, aiming for the rear ranks.

Tania gently strokes a hand down the cavalier’s back mutter words of magic to protect the man from all chaotic beings. Her demonic aspect roaring before moving to chomp down on the nice looking dwarf snack before it.

The dwarf braces himself as the eidolon bites into his leathery armor.

Kierdan Summers steps forward onto the corpse of the dog as he pivots, bringing his hammer around to whack at the dwarf’s big, bearded head.
Darius is out.

Kierdan’s hammer swishes through the air, though it does stir the dwarf’s beard. The bard’s singing stops for now. The houndkeeper curses “Damned boy needs to keep singin’. Alright, time to put you fellows down.” He then begins to wail on Kierdan, bringing both of those axes to bear on the cavalier.

Darius` bleeds.

Kierdan Summers evades one axe with his shield, leaving him wide open to take the other across his chest in a massive stroke. He lets out a wail of pain as he falls atop the dog, his hammer clattering to the cave floor, still tied to his wrist.

With little else to do before they all get in trouble, Arthur quickly reloads his crossbow! “infernal contraption of springs and levers!”

Tania, “god dammit if we survive this you are getting a lighter weapon!”

Are you sure right now you want to blow a round reloading a crossbow?

Well! The situation looks like it may be dire! S o much so that Arthur quickly assembles another bomb, packing ingredients and screwing it tight before throwing underhand just behind the dwarf, trying to catch him again!

And he takes the full brunt of it this time. You still have a move left.

Arthur moves himself a bit, keeping out of immediate archer range some more!

The archer takes an unbuffed pot shot at Tania. But plants an arrow squarely inthe floor.

Tania quickly casts a shield on herself and runs back with the alchemist. Her Eidolon stays to fight off the dwarf.

Tania’s eidolon bites the dwarf, managing to land a hit on him. The dwarf still stands, though he is greviously wounded. He roars in aggravation.

The eidolon just seems to chuckle and lick its lips now having a taste of the yummy dwarf.

The paladin heard combat noises, so… bravely or stupidly, he’s advancing upwards to see if he can provide aid…or if it’s too late and he should get out of there with the drow.

That bard comes into view around the corner on the ledge. The houndsmaster double axes Tania’s eidolon, missing both times.

Tania, “Ruke! oh thank goodness… we are getting the leader but darius and the cavalier are unconcious! I dont even know if they are alive… you have to secure them”

The paladin looks to Tania, then nods. “I can ensure their survival once I’ve reached them… how many enemies are still out there?”

“3, one archer, one bard and the leader. the leader is the biggest threat right now, my eidolon is holding him off… and the alchemist as well… his bombs are more helpful right now”

Arthur reloads his crossbow now.

The archer up top holds his fire.

Tania moves up and casts grease over top the leaders head to hopefully get him to trip up for her eidolon to strike.

Perkins slips and falls

With that the Eidolon moves to munch on the nice fallen dwarf.

But the dwarf’s just too damn tough.

Ruke takes a double move action there. He grips the hilt of his greatsword in one hand and his other hand begins to glow with a white light.

The bard moves to the female elf, then kneels near her. He sings softly to her, and she awakens, her wounds closing. The bard then nods to the elven archer, who undelays, and shoots the houndmaster in the back. The bard calls out “We surrender, just let us three out..”

“Throw down all your weapons, good sir! And move far, far away from them!”:

The houndmaster slumps forward, collapsing to the ground. The bard shouts back “No, we keep our weapons. You’re wounded, so are we, but we can probably make your lives hell trying to get up here. All we want to do is take what we have on us now and leave.”

“Dammit man let them go so we can heal our own” Tania curses and just drops her crossbow going to Darius immediatly “pleasedontbedeadpleasedontbedead”

Ruke is wounded big time already, and there are innocents here, so… he makes the tough call and agrees. “Fine, you’ve got your deal, but you never show your faces around this town again—or you will be caught and tried for your crimes as bandits.” The paladin will bend down and touch his hand across Darius wounds. His hand glows briefly and the man becomes stabilized.

Grevane doesn’t shoot at them, but… well! “Indeed. We may not trust you terribly much at the moment, but the day would end far better without any more bloodshed.”

“He’ll live,” Ruke whispers to Tania.

Simon nods “The asshole you want is right there.” He points to the dwarf. “You can save him for trail if you act swiftly.” The archers toss a rope ladder down the ledge, and begin to climb down.

The paladin will walk up to the fallen dwarf and stabalize him as well. He’ll take out rope, then begin to bind the dwarves arms and feet in it.

Tania nearly tears up when she pauses even her breath stops while Darius gets stabalized. She doesnt say a word looking to Ruke, all the gratitude is in her eyes before she just hugs the larger man careful not to hurt his wounds.

Darius is stabilized

The Eidolon looks very tempted to eat the dwarf even testing its jaw size around the body.

Ruke will smile gently and return the chaste gesture to Tania. “Watch over him, while I check on Kierdan and the dwarf.” The paladin lets the archers pass, though he takes a moment to look at each of them so he might be able to recognize their faces again.

Tania nods and just watches the archers go by saying nothing.

When the archers come up, Ruke looks at them. “I’m going to follow you outside, but only to make sure you don’t take the horse, our ally, and the other prisoner. Are you okay with these terms?”

“Go on, go on, find your way out of here.” Arthur says, taking another one of his extracts. “I think… with suitable blood and tissue samples, perhaps I could develop a better formula. One with a wider range of use…”

As they pass Ruke, Simon speaks softly as an aside, “The emissary from Worm Keep is in the next room, as is the prisoner. It’s unlikely he’ll fight, but you never know with his sort. I suggest you get your lot recovered and ready. There’s some healers kits up in the bedroom up top. Do what you will, just let us out of here.”

“Very well, thank you for the information. May the Gods have mercy on your souls.” Ruke will escort the bandits out, then let them go on their merry way.

“Whatever, just not worth dying for a cause you don’t give a shit about.”

Kierdan Summers has stopped bleeding, but he still looks to be in a bad way, laying atop the body of a dead hound, his warhammer still tied to his wrist. It looks like the axe went between two plates of his armored coat.

“Is the Emissary the one that came to Perkins with the deal? Can you tell us anything more about this Worm Keep?”

Tania just runs to go get the healing kits

Simon nods “Yeah well, not much. None of the others know about it, but I heard a story once. There was a time back millenia ago when the first necromancer was honing his arts, the place he holed up to practice in was called Worm Keep. It was supposedly just stories, but this fellow Thule… the symbol on his cloak looks a lot like those old stories tell.”

“Hmm…” Ruke doesn’t like the sound of that, but there is work to be done. “Very well. You’re free to go now.”

Simon nods, and the three archers leave peacefully. Tania can climb up to the ledge up the rope they left if she wants

Tania does so.

“Arthur, can you watch everyone in here while I bring in Dingbat and Sin? I don’t want them outside alone.”

“Indeed, I can do that. He nods! "Now… we need to regroup. Is everybody still alive?’

Up top, the ledge leads to two rooms, The one to the west has a few bunk beds and several chests.

Tania begins to loot! for the healing kits….

It will take a while for her to do so. does she do a thorough search of the room? If so, make a perception check.

“Everyone is alive. We must be cautious if the emissary is still here with a prisoner…”

Everyone else has a few minute to catch a breather there while they wait, enough time to move bodies around etc.

Ruke will go outside and bring in Dingbat and Sin.

“Indeed. Shall we map the place out?”

Darius feels like crap.

Sin, Kierdan, and Darius will more or less be rested against a wall next to each other. Ruke takes the manacles off of Dingbat and places them on Perkins. He’ll also loot Perkins, remove weapons, armor, etc. To Arthur, he nods. “Something like that, yes. We’ll need to see if we can get our allies back up after Tania retrieves those kits.”

Dingbat gets tied up with rope.

Within the bedroom, Tania discovers: 60 arrows, chests containing spare sets of clothing, 4 daggers, 2 short swords, A bag with 120 gp. Another bag with 140 sp. Enough healing kits to garnish 20 uses from. A glass vial with a strange, sparkling orange potion within it. A leather scrollcase. And hidden under a loose stone near one of the beds she finds a golden bracelet set with small sapphires.

Grevane stands over both captives, since he DID load that crossbow!

Tania loots the organ vial, healing kits…. and the gold bracelet mostly because that was pretty and sapphires matched her eyes. Slipping it on before moving to descend back with the healing kits “Someone catch these!”

On Perkins, Ruke discovers a chain shirt fitted for a dwarven male. Two dwarven waraxes, a small silver ring with two onyxes set upon it. a bag of dog treats, and a small brass whistle.

Ruke packs it all up with the other gear he’s taken already. Upon hearing Tania, he’ll move over to the ladder to assist her.

Tania gently passes a few down to Ruke slipping a couple in her bags. Ever so carfully wrapping the vial and putting it in before descending “This is all I found that could heal… and this strange liquid… the alchemist could tell us what it is”

“Aye, I imagine that is his realm of expertise. Good job on finding all this.” Ruke takes the offered supplies, nodding in gratitude to Tania.

“there is a bunch of other stuff up there…. I shall go get the rest of it” moving back up the rope sighing at all this climbing she has to do.

Ruke, “Be careful.” He’ll return to Arthur! “Are you any good with first aid?” He asks the alchemist. amd indiciates the healing kits he’s brought back.

“Well… I suppose I can give it a try, indeed!” though his heal rating is 5… it’s level 1, and all.

If you felt like it you could camp in the bandit’s old room, everyone except the horse. except wait, there’s actually a block and tackle with a moveable mining platform, so if you REALLY wanted to, you could probably get the horse up there too

Tania begins sorting the loot between weapons, gold, and stuff they could sell. Keeping the bracelet before moving to the next room to see what was in there so she could sort it all out by the time they got back.

Okay, so Ruke will try and carefully get all the unconcious party members up to that room with the beds and place them there. So, Arthur can have a little first aid-station there more or less. The prisoners will get brought up as well.

A long, broad room has cooking fires set up, as well as the remnants of breakfast on one table. A map lies on one table, depicting crude sketches of the areas around the city, along with little Xs corresponding to where caravans were raided. There are barrels and boxes of foodstuffs most places, along with a freshly butchered ham. A heavy crossbow lies on one table, along with ten quarrels.

When he’s done with all that, he tries to lead the horse in with the ‘Come’ trick.

The horse follows Ruke inside, and along the uneven, mud and gravel ground, into the oil lit mine.

“Good horsey. Your owner will be happy to see you tomorrow, Setanta.”

Tania takes the quarrels and heavy crossbow dragging them back to the bed room and putting them with the weapons before sighing “that’s everything up here so far… there’s even some food and cooking utensils… we wont need to move much at all from here”

“That is good news.”

Ideally, Arthur would do long term care for everyone in the party. And we’d keep watches out for the Emissary. If he pops out into that main area, maybe have Arthur and Tania snipe him with crossbows and use the Eidolon again or something

The party rests for 8 hours. Arthur inspects the potion. It’s a potion of cure light wounds.

Darius staggers up looking at the arrow in his stomach

“We now have a potion of Cure Light Wounds” After checking with them, he will take time to replenish his extracts and mutagen and bomb stuff!

“What…What happened?” Darius seems confused.

Sin remains unconscous.

“We may want to consider giving it to Kierdan, he took a rough beating…” Ruke looks over at Darius, “Ah, well…seems we all lived! That’s great, jolly news. The bad new is we had to let three of the bandits go and I think there is a necromancer down here or something like that.”

So after eight hours, people heal up a bit, and Sin and Kierdan are still unconscious.

Tania immediately rushes Darius when she sees he’s awake and hugs him tightly just staying with him and making sure he rests. Her Eidolon…. is busy devoruing wolf bodies.

Ruke, “Arthur, would you come with me to check out the rest of the cave? I think we should spend a day or so more here until Sin and Kierdan are well enough off to ride.”

Darius pets her head and winces when he is tackled but doesn’t complain

Ruke smiles at seeing Tania and Darius, and looks ready to give them a little space for a bit.

“If you are going to Adventure, be careful … Ouch, Tania, Im alright…See, only a flesh wound”

Tania leans into his touch sniffling a bit “You’re an idiot! I told you that you were going to get hurt! that is not a flesh wound! you nearly died!”

Grevane, “Nobody is an idiot. We survived, after all./”

The mine is actually a pretty cozy place all in all. One could probably camp out there for months at a time.

Ruke will (carefully) explore the rest of the place—mostly to see if there is anything else of note to find.

“Heh, No, she’s right about this, As a bloodborn magic-user, I really shouldn’t be on the battlefield, but I’m too stubborn … Im sorry i scared you Tania. It’s good to hear everyone made it through…But what now?”

Tania sniffles more rubbing her eyes “idiot… idiot…. idiot…” she just mutters before leaning on him

Ruke finds a chamber with another pit. The chamber itself is cleaner than the previous one, containing a metal lockbox in one corner. The pit seems to have someone within it, as evidenced from the soft sobbing. A niche in one side of the mine’s uneven wall seems to contain a tomb of some sort, complete with headstone.

“Hello?” Ruke cautiously approaches the pit with sobbing in it.

Darius twitches as he is still tender but let her curse him into oblivion and holds Tania in his currently weak arms

As Ruke approaches the pit, he can see a ponderous woman in her middling thirties. She has to be human, and is dressed in fineries suitable for an upper middle class status. She’s five foot at the most, and EASILY three hundred fifty pounds or more.

Ruke, “By the Gods…”

When Ruke calls out, she turns her big, tearful eyes up to the top of the pit. “Hello, HELLO! Oh have you come to rescue me? Please, please get me out of this dank pit. My husband will pay well for my return.”

The eidolon curious walks along to follow the paladin. Eventually after a while finding him andthe pit sniffing at the hole in a kind of ‘is there something down there to eat’ way.

Ruke walks to the edge of the pit. He can’t help but keep staring at the woman! Maybe he’s enthralled by her beauty. Yeah. Thats it. He looks to the eidolon, then shakes his head before calling down to the woman.

Well, now that he’s patched people up and mixed lots of chemicals, the alchemist finally joins everybody! "By the light, it’s a rhin- I mean, hello there, dear lady! Care for some assistance?’

Ruke, “We were sent by your husband, yes. We’ll get you out of there in a moment.”

She claps her hands together, “Oh goody! Well, I will be right here, I cannot climb out on my own.”

The Eidolon just peeks down with its long neck into the hole seeing the jumbling fat… thing… not quite sure what to make of it. Kinda wonders if its a cow in a disguise.

Well, he wasn’t smart enough to come up with that idea on his own anywho, so unless someone suggests it to him, Ruke’s probably going to have to break his back to get this woman out of there.

“Shall I go look at the machine in the other room, then?”

And as the group tries to figure out how to get Callos’ wife out of a deep hole, we will call it a night here for now.